Signs

Before I tell the story of the raptor, I need to tell another story.

There is a realty company in my city named Northwood. Every time I pass a house for sale and see one of their signs, I think of the Northwoods. I think of the plans, the secret plans.

I’m reminded of Operation Northwoods.

There is a memo from the Joint Chiefs of Staff dated March 13, 1962. It’s titled “Justification for US Military Intervention in Cuba”. It has the markings TOP SECRET, SPECIAL HANDLING and NOFORN.

There are fifteen pages detailing what the military could do to justify war with Cuba. Many proposals and suggestions are listed.

Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara would later intentionally mislead and deceive Congress and the public about the Gulf of Tonkin incident. That incident was used to justify US military escalation in Vietnam. But McNamara didn’t approve any of the Northwoods proposals. None of them were approved by President Kennedy.

The memo proposed a series of incidents that would give the genuine appearance of being done by hostile forces. The incidents included starting rumors (many), staging attacks, burning aircraft, conducting funerals for mock victims and sinking a boatload of Cubans (real or simulated).

It suggested blowing up a US ship in Guantanamo Bay and blaming it on Cuba. It proposed hijacking attempts and a fake shoot down of a chartered civil airliner. It stated “The passengers could be a group of college students off on a holiday”.

The memo describes in great detail how everything would be carried out and how the public would be deceived. Even military personnel involved in the incidents would be deceived.

It stated “Casualty lists in US newspapers would cause a helpful wave of national indignation.”

A terror campaign was suggested. It could take place in Florida and Washington. A few bombs could be exploded in carefully chosen spots. Prepared documents would substantiate Cuban involvement.

Operation Northwoods has nothing to do with 9/11, but it’s understandable how this document has fueled 9/11 conspiracy theories. It shows how deceptive the US military was willing to be in order to justify a war.

These deceptions weren’t proposed by rogue commanders. They were proposed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The public was never supposed to learn about this. As I said before, the government has a lot of secrets, big secrets. This one got out.

I have great respect for the members of the US military, but some of the leaders past and present, I'm not so sure about.

If you would like to read the Northwoods document, I have provided links.

Comments please.

A direct link to the pdf file

http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/news/20010430/northwoods.pdf

The National Security Archive

http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/news/20010430/